• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.785-792
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• 2021

Objectives: Dental hygienists are an essential human resource in dental service organizations. However, there are several important persisting problems faced by them, that need to be solved. The purpose of this study was to explore the current situation in dental hygiene education institutions, number of active dental hygienists, and employment distribution across South Korea. Methods: The study gathered statistics of dental hygiene educational institutions, the ratio of active dental hygienists and the number of dental hygienists working across South Korea from officially reviewed websites. Results: Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions house the most number of colleges with dental hygiene programs. The Daejeon and Chungnam regions had the most universities with dental hygiene programs. The activity ratio of dental hygienists decreased every year. Dental hygienists' employment was highly focused in the Seoul and Gyeonggi provinces. Conclusions: The survey data can be used as basic data for future dental hygienist education to cope with the shortage of active dental hygienists and regional imbalances. This could prove useful to consider the employment of dental hygienists appropriately.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.621-630
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate awareness and performance of infection control by dental hygienist. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was answered by 239 dental hygienists working in dental clinics from September 7 to 18, 2016 in Gwangju city & Jeonnam region after explaining the purpose of the study and receiving the informed consent. The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic characteristics and awareness and performance of infection control using Likert 4 point scale. Results: Average of Infection control awareness was $3.33{\pm}0.38$, average of infection control Performance was $3.04{\pm}0.37$ (p<0.05). The awareness and practice of dental equipment management showed the largest difference. The awareness of infection control by general characteristics varied according to position, number of dental units, number of employees, Infection control needs, Received infection control training experience, infection experience, infection control guideline (p<0.05). The relationship between infection control awareness and Infection control performance was r = 0.624 (p<0.001), indicating positive correlation. Conclusions: To improve awareness and performance of dental hygienist's infection control, regular received infection control training experience is needed. It is considered that the dentist's active cooperation is needed in shortening the life span of the dental equipment due to the Infection control performance and securing the quantity.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.409-423
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• 2019

The purposes of this study was to confirm the current issues of workforce policy of dental auxiliary personnel in Korea. The literature review and data collection were conducted in terms of the auxiliary personnel supply, regional distribution, legal works, working environment. Despite the rapid increase in the number of dental hygienists, the number of active dental hygienists is less than half of the total, and the dental clinics still experience the shortage. Considering the dental hygienist's work, the available dental auxiliary personnel for the dental assistance is limited. The proportion of dental hygienists is concentrated in large cities, and the ratio of dental clinics composed of only dental hygienists is high. Thus, it is essential to look for a plan to solve the disparity. The criterion for judging the legality of the works is ambiguous because a large portion of dental hygienist's work is not specified in the Medical Technicians Act. The job life is also shortened, and occupational profession and satisfaction are lowered. Thus, job burnout is accelerating. The difference between the legal works and the practiced works of dental hygienist and the conflict between the personnel might be due to the lack of utilization plans for the dental personnel at the government level. Therefore, the government should establish the roles of dental hygienist in accordance with the demands of the dental health service, institutionalize the necessary policies accordingly, and make efforts to establish plans to improve the relevant laws and utilize the manpower appropriately.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.235-243
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• 2023

Objectives: This study compared the number of graduates in each region for the past 6 years and the number of dental hygienists working in dental clinics by region to evaluate the trend of dental hygienists moving to work areas after graduation. Methods: Health care big data open system_medical manpower statistics, resident population and household status data by year, and education statistics service were used to calculate the number of dentists and dental hygienists, admission status by region, number of dental hygienists per 100,000 population, number of dental hygienists per number of dentists, and distribution of dental hygienists by region. Results: Although the number of active dental hygienists increased in the metropolitan area, the ratio of dental hygienists to dentists did not improve significantly. In addition, the number of students enrolled in provincial universities decreased, and there were fewer active dental hygienists than graduates in provincial areas. Conclusions: Although the number of active dental hygienists increased due to increase in the number of dental hygiene departments, it was found that rural areas did not have a significant impact on the availability of dental hygienists as the graduates moved to the metropolitan area.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.193-201
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• 2021

Objectives: We evaluated the learning objectives of dental hygiene courses based on Bloom's learning objectives, and analyze the degree of match with the dental hygienist's job for each detailed subject. Methods: The 5th edition of 'Dental hygiene and learning objectives' was analyzed by subject based on Bloom's cognitive domain classification from March 10 to April. In addition, the degree of match between the contents of the secondary job analysis of the dental hygienist and the learning objectives for each detailed subject were analyzed. Results: The total number of dental hygiene learning objectives was 2,975 (2,762 theory, 52 practice). Among the cognitive domains, the comprehension domain was the most common (79.8%), and the skill domain was very low (4.9%). In the job for each detailed subject of dental hygiene, the most frequently performed was 'dental prophylaxis and practice' with 103 subjects. Conclusions: Overall, dental hygiene learning objectives are mostly theory-oriented, so it is necessary to expand and improve in the direction related to the jobs that clinical dental hygienists perform in the field. In addition, it is necessary to continuously develop timely learning goals, and prepare active strategies for developing high-quality items.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.9 no.9
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• pp.210-218
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to establish the basic data of rational work environment management by grasping the interrelationship between motivation or organizational fairness and retention intention. From March 1, 2019 to April 12, 2019, clinical dental hygienists working in dental hospitals and clinics in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Jeonra provinces were sampled as a convenience, using self-informative methods. There was a significant positive correlation between motivation and organizational fairness, and there was a positive correlation with retention intention. Organizational fairness had a positive correlation with retention intention. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the efficiency of the dental hygienists by establishing the working period based on the positive organizational fairness and the application of the active motivation program to increase the dental hygienist's intention.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.769-777
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• 2017

Objectives: The study was to promote patient safety by analyzing the effect of dental hygienist's perception of patient safety culture on infection control activities. Methods: The study is based on a survey of 377 dental hygienists in total working in dental settings. The questionnaire consisted of 119 questions, including 34 questions on perception of patient safety culture, and 85 questions on infection control activities. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the perception of patient safety culture and infection control activities. The data was analyzed using the SPSS version 20.0, and p<0.05 was adopted to decide on significance. Results: The longer dental hygienists have worked n the dental settings, the more active they become in infection control activities. Among the different types of dental care settings, general (university) hospitals had the largest number of infection control activities, followed by dental clinics, and network dental clinics, in descending order. The dental settings possessing a higher number of dental hygienists were found to conduct more infection control activities than other dental settings. In addition, it was found that when a dental setting adopts a patient safety policy across all the units in the hospital, more systems and procedures for patient safety tend to be established, and that stricter management response to error leads to improvement of infection control activities. Conclusions:In order to enhance infection control activities, infection control activity programs should develop and implement periodic reinforcement of infection control education. regular monitoring of infection control activities.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.789-794
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• 2014

The increasing cross-border mobility of dental school or dental hygiene students, educators, practitioners, programs and providers takes challenges for existing national quality assurance and accreditation frameworks and bodies, as well as for the systems for recognizing foreign qualifications. The new dental hygiene accreditation system was introduced to encourage the improvement of dental hygiene programs, to ensure the quality of education and, most of all, to establish an internationally compatible system of evaluation and accreditation. The accreditation procedure takes 1 year to complete. The result of the accreditation is released after evaluation via self-study report, site visit, preliminary draft report, responses from the institution and the results from the conciliation and review committees. The result from the accreditation procedure is either 'accreditation' or 'no accreditation'. Accredited schools receive one of several statuses following the evaluation. These are next general review, interim report and interim visit or suspension. Dental healthcare quality is not improved instantaneously, but instead gradually through continuous communication within the dental field. For this accreditation system to be successful, the following are essential: the accreditation agency should adopt hygiene education accreditation; it needs to become financially independent and managed efficiently; the autonomy and regulations surrounding the system need to be balanced; the professionalism of the system is ensured; and the dental field which includes not only dental program, but also hygiene program, needs to play an active role in the operation of the system.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.161-172
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• 2022

Purpose : The study was to promote patient safety by analyzing the effect of dental hygienist's perception of patient safety culture on infection control activities. Methods : The study is based on a survey of 210 dental hygienists in total working in dental settings. To find out infection control activities according to patient safety culture awareness, there were 6 general characteristics, 3 teamwork within the department, 2 infection control systems, 4 surface management, 9 equipment washing, disinfection, and laundry management, 4 infectious wastes, and 3 personal protection phrases.The data was analyzed using the SPSS version 20.0, and p<.05 was adopted to decide on significance. Results : The longer dental hygienists have worked n the dental settings, the more active they become in infection control activities. Among the different types of dental care settings, general (university) hospitals had the largest number of infection control activities, followed by dental clinics, and network dental clinics, in descending order. The dental settings possessing a higher number of dental hygienists were found to conduct more infection control activities than other dental settings. In addition, it was found that when a dental setting adopts a patient safety policy across all the units in the hospital, more systems and procedures for patient safety tend to be established, and that stricter management response to error leads to improvement of infection control activities. Conclusion :In order to enhance infection control activities, infection control activity programs should develop and implement periodic reinforcement of infection control education. regular monitoring of infection control activities.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.839-847
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the perception of clinical trials of dental hygienist. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was filled out by 126 dental hygienists in Seoul, Kyonggi and other area from October 1 to November 15, 2012. The instrument of the study was adapted from Jung and reconstructed. The questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of the subjects(9 questions) and recognition for clinical trials(10 questions). Recognition for clinical trials instrument included recognition for clinical trial conception(2 questions), objective recognition(5 questions), and subjective recognition for clinical trial(3 questions). The instrument was score by Likert 5 scale and Cronbach alpha was 0.936 in the study. Data were analyzed by SPSS 20.0 program and set at p<0.05. Independent t-test, chi-square test, one way ANOVA, and post-hoc Duncan test were done. Results: Those who had higher ages and higher education tended to have longer clinical careers(p<0.05). There was a significant difference in clinical trials between the level of education, clinical dental hygienists and professors. The differences in problem perception for activation of clinical trial according to workplace appeared to lack of publicity and inadequacy of facilities(p<0.05). Conclusions: To improve the perception of the clinical trials in dental hygienists, it is necessary to prepare the human resources programs, the additional curricula, continuing education courses and active publicity.